


My Best Friend's Brother

by imthehotgirl



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M, Some Humor, Teen Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-19
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2019-03-21 01:14:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13730004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imthehotgirl/pseuds/imthehotgirl
Summary: Theo Raeken's best friend Jackson Whittemore has started dating Stiles Stilinski and Theo is really beginning to miss his best friend. What he hasn't counted on is a new best friend in a girl he's just met. Or how to deal with feelings he has for Jackson's younger half-brother Liam Dunbar.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [shaneo6930](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shaneo6930/gifts).



> Title taken from Victoria Justice's song "Best Friend's Brother". This is my first attempt at a multi-chaptered Thiam fic. I hope you enjoy! :o)

2015

Theo Raeken sat in his best friend Jackson Whittemore’s living room waiting for Jackson to show up so the two of them could try out the new video game Theo had recently purchased: ‘Ghost Riders Revenge’.

“Finally,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair, unable to prevent the small, relieved smile that graced his features when Jackson entered the room, sitting down next to him on the couch.

“You ready to get your ass kicked, Raeken?” Jackson asked, flashing Theo a cocky grin.

Theo snorted. “Whatever, dude. I rule at this game and you know it,” he insisted.

“Uh, no. That was the original, man. You’re about to get schooled, my friend because what we have here is the sequel. Whole new ballgame,” Jackson said, cueing up the game for them.

“Sure, if that’s the story you’re going with,” Theo replied with a shrug.

Just then Jackson’s phone went off, his current ringtone ‘Uptown Funk’ blaring through the tinny speaker.

“Sorry, Theo. It’s Stiles. I gotta take this. Won’t be too long,” Jackson mumbled apologetically, getting to his feet and patting Theo on the shoulder before leaving the room.

“Yeah, of course you do,” Theo muttered, rolling his eyes as he reached into his backpack, which rested at his feet and jammed his baseball cap onto his head, letting out a muffled scream of annoyance as he tried to think of anything other than Jackson bailing on him so he could spend more time with his boyfriend Stiles yet again.

A few minutes later Jackson stepped back into the room, a guilty expression clouding his features.

“Hey, Theo, I hate to do this to you, but, uh…” he trailed off feebly.

Theo sighed heavily, giving Jackson a forced smile. “You’re ditching me again, aren’t you?” 

Jackson gave him a weak smile. “It’s just, Stiles needs me to pick him up from the library and get him home in time for dinner. His Jeep crapped out on him again. Look, it’ll be okay. We can…we can try again later, right?”

“Yeah, sure, man. He, uh, he’s your boyfriend. I get it. If you don’t play the part of his Knight in Shining Armor, who will?” Theo choked out, the forced smile still firmly in place.

“Thanks, Theo. You’re awesome, man. I’ll make it up to you, okay?” Jackson promised earnestly before heading out the door.

Letting out another deep sigh, Theo fell heavily back into the couch, trying desperately to convince himself he wasn’t beginning to miss his best friend. They were sophomores in high school. This kind of shit was bound to happen, but he hadn’t counted on being the ditchable prom date in this particular scenario.

He looked up in surprise hearing the sound of a whip cracking behind him. Jackson’s younger half-brother Liam Dunbar stepped into the room, holding his own phone, his finger hovering over the current sound effect app he was using, a grin lighting up his face.

“Jesus, Liam. Thanks for nearly giving me a heart attack,” Theo muttered, running a hand over his face.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to freak you out, Theo. My brother’s just so…”

“Whipped?” Theo suggested, smirking in spite of himself as the younger boy came and sat next to him on the couch.

Liam chuckled. “Yeah, exactly. It sucks he bailed on you again, huh?”

Theo nodded. “I guess. I mean, I get that he wants to spend all his time with Stiles. I’d probably be doing the same thing if I had a boyfriend. I just, I…”

“Miss him?” Liam asked knowingly.

Theo cleared his throat, averting his gaze from Liam’s for a moment. “So, uh, how’s eighth grade treating ya?” he finally asked.

Liam rolled his eyes. “Middle school is so friggin’ stupid,” he grumbled.

Theo laughed. “Hate to break it to you, but high school isn’t much better.”

“Yeah, but at least you’ll be there, right?” Liam asked.

Theo’s eyes softened. “Yeah, I’ll be there, Dunbar,” he promised.

“So, uh, could I play this game with you? I know you were going to save it to play with Jackson later, but I thought maybe, you might…?” Liam offered hesitantly.

Theo grinned at the younger boy; relieved Liam wanted to help distract him from his thoughts. “Hell, yeah, I’ll play with you, kid. Just prepare yourself for a crushing defeat,” he said, bumping shoulders with Liam.

“Well, duh,” Liam retorted, returning Theo’s grin with a broad one of his own as Theo readied the game for them.

One Year Later…

Theo stared into the depths of his locker, debating on which books he really needed to take home with him that night to study when his and Stiles’ mutual friend Scott McCall and Scott’s girlfriend Malia Tate came up to him, holding hands. Naturally. He thought to himself, struggling to stop himself from instinctively rolling his eyes like he wanted to.

Stiles, Jackson, Scott and Malia had coerced him into going on a group date with them the previous weekend. He’d agreed only because (he thought) it would give him the opportunity to hang-out with Jackson a bit more. Boy had he been wrong about that one.

Apparently in all the excitement of him making his own plans he’d mistook the word date and mentally replaced it with the word hang. Once he’d shown up outside the club they were all meeting at that night, Lydia Martin was waiting there with them. For him apparently.

Which, yeah, was great and all except for the fact that she’d immediately grabbed a hold of his hand and dragged him off toward the bartender and proceeded to down three shots in a row before saying a word to him. And when she finally began talking all she could talk about was her girlfriend Allison Argent, who was away at an all-girls boarding school, and how she hated parental authority and how much long-distance relationships seriously sucked.

Theo had smiled at her in concern, attempting to distract her by telling her about how much he missed spending time with Jackson ever since he’d gotten together with Stiles.

“You ever tell him any of that? How you feel? He might like you too, you know,” Lydia said, patting him on the arm sympathetically.

Theo shot her a look of disgust. “What? No! I don’t… Jackson’s my best friend, Lydia. I just, I dunno, I’m missing the old days, I guess. And I think…I’m pretty sure I have a thing for his brother Liam,” he admitted, blushing as he nervously bit down on his lower lip.

“Oh. My. God! You and I totally have to be besties now! I won’t take ‘no’ for an answer! Liam sounds adorable, Theo. I can’t wait to meet him,” Lydia squealed, wrapping her arms around his neck. He’d laughed and the two of them exchanged numbers, thus cementing the idea in their friends’ heads that they’d hit it off.

Shaking his head in an attempt to clear it from past thoughts, Theo returned his attention to Scott and Malia.

“Hey, Theo. You and Lydia want to get together with us tonight? We’re thinking about heading to a movie,” Scott said.

Theo gave Scott a placating smile. “Sorry, Scott. Lydia and I already have plans,” he said.

“Damn. Well, next time then, huh?” Scott offered.

“Sure thing,” Theo replied. He let out a relieved sigh as he watched the couple walk down the hall hand-in-hand. As he shut his locker he nearly jumped out of his skin seeing Liam standing next to him, his back pressed against the row of lockers next to Theo’s. “Jesus, Dunbar, you’re gonna kill me. What-what the hell are you wearing?” he asked slowly, taking in the sunglasses riding low on the bridge of Liam’s nose, NOFX t-shirt and ripped jeans the other boy wore.

“I know. It’s a turn on, huh?” Liam replied off-handedly, lazily twirling a drumstick in between his fingers as he spoke. “So, Mason, Corey, Hayden and I are heading over to my place in a few to rehearse. Meet us there? Oh, and bring Lydia! We need to practice in front of an audience. And well, it’s great you’re hanging out with other people besides my lame brother for once.”

Theo gave Liam a small, genuine smile. “Uh, yeah, yeah, of course I’ll be there, Dunbar. See you in a few,” he promised.

“Awesome!” Liam crowed happily, running off down the hallways in search of his friends.

Theo chuckled, shaking his head as he pulled his phone from his pocket intent on texting Lydia to meet him at the Whittemore-Dunbar residence as soon as she could.

TBC...


	2. Chapter 2

Theo pulled up to the curb of his best friend’s house, quickly cutting his truck’s engine, pocketing the keys and clambering from the vehicle, intent on rounding the truck and heading toward the garage where he could hear Liam and his friends practicing. But he was accosted by Lydia before he could make any headway. 

“Oh, hey, Lydia! Great, you made it!” he exclaimed happily when she approached, intent on hugging her. But she had other ideas. Holding her hand up in a ‘stop’ motion, she gave him a quick, cursory onceover.

“Hmm. A raglan tee, zip hoodie, a ball cap and jeans, Theo? Seriously?” she demanded softly.

“What’s wrong with it? It’s what I was wearing to school. If that’s not good enough for Liam than maybe…” Theo protested, but was cut off mid-sentence when Lydia pressed her finger against his lips.

“You’re right. We want Liam to fall for who you really are. I just, I’m trying to figure out how to make what I’ve got in front of me work for you. We need to make you look hotter, not just adorable,” Lydia insisted.

“Hotter?” Theo replied uncertainly.

“Yeah, you know, sexier,” Lydia explained.

“Se-sexier?” Theo stammered in a hoarse whisper.

“Okay. Get rid of the hoodie. Come on, take it off!” Lydia ordered, smacking Theo in the shoulder in an attempt to get him moving. 

Theo snorted, shaking his head. “If I didn’t already know you have a girlfriend I’d think you were just trying to get me naked,” he muttered, pulling the hoodie off and tossing it in through the open window of his truck.

“In your dreams, pumpkin,” Lydia retorted, yanking Theo’s baseball cap off his head and tossing it in through the window after the hoodie.

“Hey!” Theo yelped in protest, his hands coming up to cover his hat hair.

“Relax,” Lydia chided, running her hands through Theo’s hair until it seemed to be doing what she wanted. A minute later she was yanking the bottom of his long-sleeved t-shirt out of the waistband of his jeans and rolling up the sleeves of the shirt to reveal his forearms. “That’s better. You look sexy but not like you’re trying too hard,” she told him.

“Oh-kay,” Theo mumbled sarcastically, huffing in annoyance before rounding his truck and heading toward the noise emitting from the garage, anxious to put some space between himself and Lydia for a few minutes.

He couldn’t help the grin that lit up his features or the butterflies making an appearance in his stomach when he finally spotted Liam, who was still sporting the shades as he played.

With Hayden on vocals, Mason on guitar and Corey on bass Theo had to admit they were pretty decent for a bunch of high schoolers playing punk rock out of a garage. Although, Theo figured his opinion didn’t count for all that much since he had a crush on their drummer.

“Liam’s the drummer, right?” Lydia asked, whispering loudly in Theo’s ear to be heard over the music.

“Yeah, how can you tell?” Theo asked her with a laugh.

“You haven’t stopped staring at him since we walked in here,” Lydia replied, giving Theo a knowing grin. Theo blushed, returning Lydia’s grin with one of his own before returning his focus to the band, his eyes continually gravitating towards Liam as the other boy wailed away on his drums.

“We’re Wolf Pups. Thanks for coming out tonight. You guys have been a wonderful audience!” Hayden declared into her microphone, bouncing on the balls of her feet once they’d finished their last set, smiling broadly at Lydia and Theo who broke into wild applause and cheers. Mason and Liam high-fived one another in triumph before the four kids began the teardown process, putting the guitars away and setting the microphones off to the side of the garage.

“You guys were amazing! Thanks for letting us listen in during your rehearsal,” Theo said enthusiastically as he approached Liam.

Liam chuckled, finally taking his sunglasses off, clipping them to his shirt as he ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah? Cool. I’m glad you were able to make it. And that you were able to bring Lydia. She’s totally into you, Theo,” he said, running his hand through his hair again.

Theo’s eyes narrowed as he saw Hayden glance in their direction for a moment before returning to the conversation she was having with Corey.

“Uh, yeah, cool,” he muttered distractedly, belatedly realizing Liam had been waiting for a response from him as he continued to watch Hayden.

A few minutes later Mason came up to them, Corey and Hayden at his heels. “Liam, man, this was awesome. We should have Theo and Lydia at every rehearsal. You got us all psyched, ya know?” he said, directing his question to Theo. “But yeah, we’re gonna get going, all right? We’ll see you tomorrow,” he continued, Corey waving goodbye as Mason took a hold of his hand, leading him out of the garage.

“I’m gonna go too, Liam. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Hayden promised before the two of them hugged goodbye. Theo felt his heart twist painfully at the interaction.

Lydia came up to them, smiling at Theo as she put her phone into her purse and dug out her keys. “All right, Theo. I’m gonna take off too, honey. Liam, thanks for inviting me, sweetie. I’ll see you boys later,” she said, kissing Theo on the cheek before she headed towards her car.

Liam caught Theo’s gaze, raising an eyebrow in his direction. “You gonna leave me too?” he asked, his eyes dancing with amusement.

“Do you have popcorn?” Theo asked in all seriousness.

“I could make us some,” Liam offered.

“All right. I guess I don’t have to leave you right away,” Theo said, smirking at Liam.

Liam shook his head, laughing. “You’re a dork. Get in the house!” Theo couldn’t help the genuine smile on his face in that moment. The butterflies had returned.

TW ** TW

Once Liam had the popcorn popping away in the microwave he and Theo casually leaned up against the kitchen counter, waiting for it to be done.

“So, you and Hayden, huh?” Theo asked reluctantly, marveling at his bravery yet nervous about Liam’s response.

“Me and Hayden…? What?” Liam replied, clearly not picking up on Theo’s line of thinking.

“Aren’t you together?” Theo asked.

Liam’s eyes widened in surprise at Theo’s question. “Me and Hayden? No, no, not at all. I mean, she’s one of my best friends. Well, no, she’s more like my sister, ya know? I love her, but not like that.”

“Oh, okay. Hey, Liam?”

“Yeah?”

“Lydia is seeing someone. We’ve never been like that either. Boyfriend/Girlfriend, I mean,” Theo insisted. “Even though it seems like everyone else, including Jackson, wants us to be a couple,” he continued, letting out a heavy sigh.

“Have I mentioned lately that my brother is an idiot?” Liam said with a smile.

Theo snorted. “Thanks, Dunbar,” he said sincerely.

Liam shrugged. “I got your back,” he promised. A few seconds later the microwave pinged. “Ooh, popcorn’s ready!”

Theo laughed so hard tears started rolling down his cheeks as he watched Liam’s near terrier-like antics, the younger boy bouncing around him in excitement at the mere idea of the popcorn they were about to eat.

“And you think I’m the dork?” he teased.

The question seemed to sober Liam enough to realize Theo was hungry too.

“Hang on. I gotta get a bowl,” he muttered, opening the cupboard right above Theo’s head, reaching for the bowl he needed. Theo felt his breath hitch in his throat, his heart thudding dully in his ears as Liam’s hand gently grabbed him around the waist while the other boy pulled the bowl from the cupboard. “Whew! Got it!” Liam exclaimed gleefully, his hand falling to his side.

Theo coughed awkwardly, giving Liam a strained smile, watching silently as the popcorn overflowed into a bowl before the bag was tossed in the trashcan.

“Video game?” Liam suggested.

“Sure,” he choked out in agreement.

TW ** TW

The two of them were in the thick of battle when they heard the backdoor and Stiles’ voice carrying into the living room toward them, the sound of the refrigerator opening and closing. 

“Hydrate, babe.”

Theo grinned at Liam, who’d just destroyed another Ghost Rider through their second round of Level Four, doing his best to ignore the sounds of Stiles and Jackson downing their bottles of Gatorade floating in from the kitchen.

A few minutes later he felt certain the popcorn he’d recently consumed was about to resurface as the unmistakable sounds of Jackson and Stiles making out met his ears. Glancing at Liam he struggled not to laugh aloud. Liam sat next to him, his jaw clenched, his hands rigid on the video game controller he held and he was glaring at the Ghost Rider frozen on the screen once he’d paused their game.

“Dunbar, it’s okay. I’ll just see you tomorrow, huh?” Theo murmured, nudging his shoulder against Liam’s, trying to get him to respond. Liam seemed to come around then, reaching out and gently squeezing Theo’s knee, giving him a tight-lipped smile.

“Hey, Jackass! I’m not alone in here!” Liam yelled.

With the muffled sounds of swearing greeting their ears, it wasn’t long until Theo heard Jackson and Stiles head towards the living room.

“Liam, does this mean you and Hayden finally hooked…?” Jackson asked, stepping into the room. “Up?” he asked, finishing his thought awkwardly when he found Theo sitting next to Liam on the couch.

“Hey, Jackson. Hey, Stiles,” Theo responded with a nod at the two of them. Stiles reached out, high-fiving Theo in greeting.

“Theo? What the hell are you doing here?” Jackson demanded in confusion.

Theo shrugged. “Hanging out with Liam. Turns out he’s pretty great company,” he replied honestly, flashing Liam a small smile.

Jackson snorted, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, sure, whatever. It’s great you’re taking pity on this loser, but you don’t have to keep up the charade, Theo. Why don’t you call Lydia and the four of us can hangout for a while?”

Theo became quiet as Jackson’s words sunk in, anger flowing through him at a rapid pace.

“I can’t…I can’t do this right now. Liam, I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” he murmured, slowly getting to his feet and making his way outside.

He cringed, hearing the screen door slam behind him, knowing Jackson had followed him.

“What the hell was that, Theo?!” Jackson roared angrily.

“I’m not gonna do this, Jackson. Be your best friend on your terms and just your terms. Do you have any idea that you just ruined a really wonderful afternoon for me? I miss you, man. I do. And I know you miss me. But that’s not enough right now. You have Stiles and I’m so damn happy for you, you know that? Now you have to let me go so I can figure stuff out for myself,” Theo insisted, tears of frustration welling at the edges of his vision.

“I can’t believe this. You’re breaking up with me,” Jackson muttered.

Theo shook his head. “And I can’t believe Liam was right. You really are an idiot sometimes.”

“What the hell do you have to figure out? And why does my brother have to be involved?” Jackson demanded.

“Stiles is one hell of a lacrosse player. And he wants to be in the FBI someday,” Theo replied.

“Yeah, so? I knew that already,” Jackson said, looking at Theo blankly.

“Do you have any idea what Liam does after school?” Theo asked instead.

Jackson shrugged. “Messes around with his friends? I dunno, man.”

“Exactly! You. DON’T. Know, Jackson. For the record your brother is a Rock GOD,” Theo said, heading towards his truck. Before he rounded his vehicle he turned toward Jackson again. “And by the way, it’s not gonna work out with me and Lydia. She’s a lesbian.”

Once Jackson went back inside, Theo climbed into his truck and drove down the block. When he thought he was far enough away from his best friend’s house he pulled over to the side of the road, cut the engine again and sat in silence for a minute, thinking back on everything that had transpired between him and Jackson.

Letting out a scream of frustration, he hit his hands against the steering wheel for a few seconds until the anger dissolved into the tears he’d been holding back. A few minutes later he heard his phone alerting him, letting him know he’d received a text. Wiping at his eyes, he pulled up his text messages, smiling to himself as he read the words on the small screen.

LIAM-4:32 P.M.  
So, I’m a rock god, huh? ;o) Sorry, Stiles and I were eavesdropping. Worried about you. Everything okay?

THEO-4:35 P.M.  
I’m okay. Jackson and I are just taking separate vacations for a while. ;o)

LIAM-4:36 P.M.  
Cool. Can I come with you? :o)

THEO-4:38 P.M.  
Of course! But I was hoping I could hang out with you?

LIAM-4:40 P.M.  
Sure. We always have room at the ‘kids’ table! ;o) Bring Lydia along so you can have ‘adult’ conversation if we get too juvenile. :D

THEO-4:44 P.M.  
LOL! Sounds great! Oh, and I meant what I said about wanting to hang out with you, Dunbar. :o)

LIAM-4:47 P.M.  
Well, duh! I am your rock god after all. :o)

THEO-4:52 P.M.  
Yes, you are. <3

LIAM-4:55 P.M.  
And sucks to be Jackson right now because I’m officially your best friend in his absence. Really, whatever you need, sweetheart, I’m yours. <3

THEO-4:57 P.M.  
I would expect nothing less from my rock god. <3 :o)

LIAM-4:58 P.M.  
HAHA! Absolutely! I’ll see you tomorrow, babe. <3

TBC...


	3. Chapter 3

Theo stood by Lydia’s locker the next morning anxiously pacing in front of it every so often as he waited for her to show up.

“Whoa, Theo. No offense, honey, but you look like total crap. What happened?” Lydia asked, pulling Theo away from the students that had begun crowding the hallway and into a secluded alcove. “Here. Have a donut,” she insisted, opening the box of donuts she’d brought with her and offering one to Theo. He grabbed a glazed donut, taking a bite of the warm, sugary wonderfulness, chewing and swallowing before eventually clearing his throat.

“I didn’t get a whole lot of sleep last night,” he said.

“How come?” Lydia asked him softly.

“Basically, Jackson is acting like a dick. We got into this huge fight, ya know? I’m just sick of trying to be the person he thinks I am. Lydia, I know more about his boyfriend than he knows about his own brother. And there are so many things wrong with that statement that I can’t, I can’t even…” Theo replied, swallowing hard as he struggled yet again to put nearly everything that’d happened between him and Jackson from the previous day behind him. “And dammit, he knows, Lydia. About you being lesbian. I’m so sorry. It wasn’t my place to say anything and then I go and do something so friggin’ stupid like that. I was so pissed over everything he’d been saying that I just wanted to make sure he knew that what he thought you and I are to each other was total bullshit. And in the process I ended up outing you to three people. I seriously suck.”

“Considering how tired you are right now it sounds like you’ve been beating yourself up pretty badly over all of this. Theo, I know it’s hard, but you’ve gotta let it go, honey. Even if you don’t think you deserve it I forgive you. If Jackson really is your best friend he’ll eventually realize that dropping you from his life can’t work. For either of you. And if not, you’ve still got me, all right? And I’m not planning on bailing on you. Well, unless Allison is in town,” Lydia replied, winking at Theo.

Theo smiled at her, a sense of relief and calm flooding him as he realized as long as Lydia was willing to stand by him he’d be okay. And then he remembered that Liam had promised him the very same thing just the day before.

“Uh, Lydia? Liam kind of invited us to eat lunch with him and his friends today. Do you-do you wanna come with me?”

“Only if you want me to, Theo,” Lydia replied.

“You’re one of my best friends, Lydia. Of course I want you to come,” Theo insisted.

Lydia smiled at him. “Thanks, Theo. I’ll be there,” she promised, getting to her feet as the bell rang.

“Thanks for the donut. And for listening,” Theo told her, standing up as well.

“Anytime, honey. I’ll see you later,” Lydia said.

“Yeah, later,” Theo said before they parted ways, heading towards their first classes of the morning.

TW ** TW

That afternoon Theo met Lydia outside the cafeteria entryway. “You all right?” she asked.

“Yeah, I just didn’t want to go in there by myself,” Theo admitted. “I’ve been trying to avoid a solo run-in with Jackson.”

“Well then, this is the perfect opportunity to make an entrance. Shall we?” Lydia asked, looping her arm through Theo’s.

Theo snorted, letting out a soft laugh. “Sure, why the hell not?” he replied as they made their way into the cafeteria. As they wound their way through the tables and usual lunchroom traffic after having each paid for a meal, Theo couldn’t shake the feeling that all eyes were on him. “Uh, Lydia, is it just me or is everybody staring?”

“Of course they are. They’ve never seen you with someone as hot as me. Don’t worry the shock should pass quickly,” Lydia reassured him. “And feel free to laugh because that was a joke. Theo…?”

Theo had stopped walking, the color draining from his face as he stared at what he’d used to consider his lunch table. Jackson was sitting next to Stiles, the two of them relaying a story to Scott and Malia, who seemed appropriately entertained if their laughter was anything to go by. He knew, despite other scenarios he’d dreamt up the previous night, that if he were to walk up to them in that moment Jackson would ignore him, which in a lot of ways would be more painful than if they spoke to one another. 

“Theo? Come on, quit torturing yourself, honey. Let’s go find Liam, huh?” Lydia coaxed gently, concern flooding her features.

Theo, finally snapping out of his thoughts, nodded in agreement. “Right. We should, uh, we should go find Liam.”

A few minutes later they heard Liam’s voice. “Theo! Lydia! Over here!”

“There’s your boy,” Lydia said, giving Theo a smug grin.

“Shut up,” Theo mumbled, blushing at her words.

As they reached the table in question, (Theo easily making himself comfortable next to Liam, and Lydia sitting next to Hayden) Theo realized that Mason, Corey and Hayden, who seemed to be engrossed in conversation when he and Lydia showed up, had immediately clammed up when the two of them joined the freshmen’s table.

“Did we interrupt something?” he asked, looking around the table at the four kids.

Liam coughed, shooting a glare in Hayden’s direction when she laughed after he’d run a hand through his hair. “No, it’s fine. We were just talking about what we had planned this weekend.”

“Cool,” Theo said with a smile.

“So, what DID you guys have planned for this weekend?” Lydia asked.

“Oh, um, they have an all-ages night at this club tonight and we were thinking about going,” Mason explained. “You and Theo want to come with us?”

Theo looked over at Liam who outwardly appeared completely unaffected by the conversation Mason and Lydia were having except for the fact his leg was bouncing up and down in a jittery fashion.

“Hey, you okay, Dunbar?” Theo murmured, looking at the other boy in concern.

“What? Oh, yeah. I’m-I’m fine,” Liam insisted, giving Theo a strained smile.

“Okay, good,” Theo said, slowly reaching out underneath the table and taking a hold of Liam’s hand in his own. He smirked, catching sight of Liam’s ears reddening slightly at the private contact before the younger boy gave him a pleased grin. “And hell, yeah, Mason, of course Lydia and I’ll come with you guys,” he said in response to Mason’s question. He felt his heart flutter when Liam squeezed his hand upon hearing his enthusiastic reply about attending the all-ages night.

“Great. Sounds like fun,” Lydia readily agreed.

“I’m in,” Corey said, smiling softly at Mason.

“Definitely,” Hayden nodded, her eyes dancing in amusement as she looked between Liam and Theo. “This is definitely gonna be a fun night,” she said, winking at the two of them before getting to her feet to empty her lunch tray and head to her next class.

Finally letting go of Theo’s hand, Liam buried his face in his hands.

“We’re gonna be in for a long night,” he said, his voice coming out muffled sounding through the spaces in between his fingers.

“Relax. We’ll have fun,” Theo promised, getting to his feet as well.

“I’m not letting Hayden anywhere near you tonight,” Liam insisted, following after him.

Theo rolled his eyes. “Considering who my best friend is I’m pretty sure I’ll be better off with Hayden.”

“You say that now. But just you wait, sweetheart. It won’t be pretty,” Liam insisted.

Theo ducked his head briefly, smiling softly to himself upon hearing Liam call him ‘sweetheart’ yet again. He let loose a hoarse bark of laughter. “You’re so dramatic.”

“All right, fine, whatever, I’m dramatic. But Jackson’s temporarily stripped of that role, remember? You want your best friend? You’re looking at him, babe,” Liam said.

Theo’s gaze softened. “Yeah, you’re right,” he said, putting his arm around Liam’s shoulders as they made their way to class.

TBC...


	4. Chapter 4

Later that night the six of them met up outside the club.

“This is going to be fun!” Lydia declared when they made it through the line and inside at last.

Mason immediately pulled Corey onto the dance floor.

“All right. You guys mind if I borrow Theo for a bit?” Hayden asked.

“Now that you mention it, I…” Liam began but was cut off mid-sentence by Hayden.

“I wasn’t really talking to you, Liam. You’ve made your feelings very clear on this subject. Lydia, do you mind if I talk with Theo?” Hayden asked.

“Not at all. I was wanting to speak to Liam myself,” Lydia replied.

And before Theo really knew what was happening Hayden had grabbed him by the wrist and walked over to a corner with some tables and chairs set up.

As they sat down Theo couldn’t help but feel curious about why Hayden had dragged him over to a somewhat private area to talk with him.

And then a sudden feeling of dread and sympathy overwhelmed him as he realized why Hayden might be acting like this. And why she would enlist Lydia’s help with keeping Liam distracted.

“Uh, Hayden, you don’t…? I mean, are you into me?” he asked, his stomach tying itself into knots as he waited anxiously for her answer, hoping like hell he wouldn’t have to ‘ let her down easy’ or some other form of ridiculous bullshit people tended to partake in when they were trying to get rid of an unwanted admirer. 

Hayden’s brow furrowed in confusion. “What? Oh. OH!” she exclaimed as what Theo was asking sunk in. “No, no, no. Theo, I’m one of Liam’s best friends. I wouldn’t do that to him.”

“Okay, good,” Theo replied, sighing softly in relief. “Wait a second. What’re you saying?” he asked warily, doing his best to ignore the fluttering of hope building up inside him.

Hayden reached out, taking a hold of Theo’s hands in her own. “Theo, you like Liam, don’t you?”

Theo nodded slowly, an unsteady breath of air falling from his mouth as he looked at Hayden.

“Hayden, what am I supposed to do now?” he eventually asked.

“What do you WANT to do?” she asked instead of giving him an answer to his question.

“I want to find Liam.”

Hayden smiled, squeezing his hands gently before they both got to their feet.

“All right. Let’s go find Liam,” she replied in agreement, taking him by the hand and leading him in the direction Lydia and Liam had taken off to earlier.

“Hayden?” Theo asked as they made their way through the club.

“Yeah?”

“I get it,” Theo responded.

“Get what?”

“I get why Liam sees you as family. Why he sees you as his sister. You’re pretty amazing. And supportive. And uh, perceptive,” Theo said, laughing briefly.

Hayden stopped walking and turned toward Theo. “He told you that?” she asked in surprise. “That I’m a sister to him?”

“Yeah,” Theo said with a nod.

“You’re pretty sweet, Theo. I get what Liam sees in you, hon. You, uh, you didn’t have to tell me any of that you know,” Hayden insisted.

“Yeah, well,” Theo said, shrugging, letting out a weak laugh.

“By the way, you know how Liam runs his hand through his hair sometimes? He only ever does it when he’s nervous about impressing someone. And he was real nervous the other day when you and Lydia showed up for our rehearsal,” Hayden confided, giving him a knowing smirk.

Theo stared at her, his mouth hanging open slightly in shock.

Hayden patted his shoulder. “You said it yourself, Theo. I’m family to Liam, hon. If I can’t use what I know against him from time to time for his benefit down the road what the hell kind of sister does that make me?”

“You really are amazing, Hayden,” Theo said, laughing again as they continued to make their way through the club.

They soon found Lydia and Liam sitting at a booth in the middle of their own conversation with one another. 

“Hey, Lydia. Could I maybe…could I talk to Liam for a bit? Alone?” Theo asked pointedly, his gaze going back and forth between the girls before finally landing on Liam, winking at the younger boy.

“Come on, Hayden. Let’s go find Mason and Corey,” Lydia said, readily getting to her feet.

“We’ll see you guys later,” Hayden said, chuckling as Lydia dragged her off in the direction of the dance floor.

Once the girls had left Theo slid into the booth next to Liam.

“Hey,” he said, feeling as if some of the confidence he’d built up during his conversation with Hayden had fizzled out the minute he sat next to Liam.

“Hey. What’s up?” Liam asked him, gently knocking their shoulders together.

Theo cleared his throat. “Could we take this outside?” he asked, leaning toward Liam, his lips brushing Liam’s ear as he spoke to the other boy.

“Sure,” Liam croaked, flashing Theo a small smile. Theo couldn’t be certain due to the club’s lighting but he thought he saw Liam blush.

After the two of them had made their way outside the club, Theo drew in a deep breath, relishing the somewhat subdued atmosphere for a moment.

“Dunbar, I’m-I’m trying really hard not to freak out right now,” he said, drawing closer to Liam.

“What’s wrong?” Liam asked, his brow furrowing in worry.

“Nothing. Things are pretty great at the moment. I just, I have something I need to tell you,” Theo said.

“Yeah?” Liam asked, looking at Theo warily. “I think you’ve got me freaking out now.”

Theo chuckled, his eyes falling to the ground briefly. “Sorry about that.” And before he completely lost his nerve, he reached out, cupping Liam’s face in his hands, leaned forward and kissed him. He couldn’t help but grin stupidly into the kiss when he felt Liam grapple at his hoodie, pulling him impossibly close and deepening their kissing even further.

When they finally broke for air, Liam looked at Theo quizzically.

“You, uh, you had something you needed to tell me?” the other boy reminded him.

“Right. So, um, it turns out I like you? Like A LOT,” Theo replied.

Liam smirked at him, running a hand through his hair. “You do? I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised. I mean, I’m your rock god, right?”

Theo rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “You’re never gonna let that one go, are you?” he asked, his mouth curling in amusement.

“Probably not,” Liam admitted. “It’s just proof how awesome you think I am,” he continued, giving Theo a smug smile.

“All right. But I was kinda hoping I could start calling you my boyfriend instead?” Theo murmured, his nose bumping against Liam’s as their foreheads touched.

“I-I could live with that,” Liam stammered. “But only if you’ll be mine,” he insisted.

“Well, duh,” Theo retorted before they began kissing again.

TBC...


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Books by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald mentioned. Along with a book by Becky Albertalli, that I have fallen madly in love with thanks to one of my dear besties. You know who you are. I love you, babe! :o) Enjoy! <3

The following afternoon Theo found himself straddling Liam’s hips as the two of them made out with one another on Liam’s bed.

A few minutes later he reluctantly pulled away from his boyfriend, giving Liam a half-hearted smile.

“Is this weird? It’s weird, right?” he asked.

“Making out with you? Honestly, it was in my top five on my fantasy list. Why’re you feeling weird? Do you think we’re moving too fast? I don’t mind slowing down, babe. I was getting kind of hungry,” Liam admitted, giving Theo a sheepish smile.

Theo shook his head in disagreement, amusement flooding his features as he gazed down at his boyfriend. “No, I just, I guess I’m finding all of this a bit surreal. I mean, just a few days ago we were playing video games, doing the ‘friend’ thing and now you’re my boyfriend.”

“We are moving too fast for you, huh?” Liam murmured, swallowing convulsively as he ran a hand along Theo’s arm.

Theo leaned down, pressing his lips to Liam’s again. “I was the one who kissed you first remember? We’re not moving too fast, Dunbar. Promise. I just…I dunno, I always pictured myself as a bottom,” he admitted softly, his hair falling into his face, waiting with baited breath for Liam’s response.

Liam’s eyes widened in surprise for a moment at the revelation before he began smirking.

“Damn, Theo. You just proved me wrong,” he murmured, his tongue darting out of his mouth to wet his lips.

“What’d I do?” Theo asked, looking at his boyfriend warily.

“You just became even hotter by being so honest with me. Thanks,” Liam replied.

“Oh,” Theo said, heat flushing his features. “Do you…do you mind?”

“What, that you’d rather bottom? Hell, no, sweetheart. Remember that fantasy list I was talking about?” Liam asked with a smug grin, kissing Theo. “But I was serious about getting something to eat. You want anything?” he asked as Theo climbed off him and he got to his feet.

Theo shook his head. “Nah. I-I’m good,” he muttered, averting his gaze.

“Right. Well, we’re gonna talk when I get back, okay?” Liam insisted.

Theo nodded, knowing that Liam knew that he wanted to avoid seeing Jackson if he could.

After Liam left the room Theo leaned back onto his boyfriend’s bed, staring up at the ceiling.

A few minutes later he heard footsteps in the hallway. Just as he was about to get to his feet and pull Liam back into the room he heard his boyfriend’s voice along with Jackson’s through the door that Liam had left cracked open when he left.

“Are you seriously going to eat all of that yourself?” Jackson demanded of Liam.

“That was the plan, yeah,” Liam replied, Theo knowing the other boy was smirking at his brother as he spoke. Theo couldn’t help grinning in response.

“Whatever. I’m going over to Stiles’ for a bit. Enjoy the calories, loser,” Jackson said.

Theo sighed in relief when his best friend finally left his boyfriend alone out in the hallway. He watched as Liam finally made his way back into the room, carrying two plates of sandwiches, a package of cookies and a bag of chips.

“Sorry about that,” Liam muttered as he nudged the door closed with his foot before setting the food on his desk, making his way back over to Theo, hovering over him as they began kissing again. “Better?” he mumbled into Theo’s open mouth, referring to their previous conversation.

“Definitely,” Theo agreed, his voice dipping lower as he looked at Liam with hooded eyes.

Liam cleared his throat. “Are you sure you’re not hungry?” he asked.

Theo rolled his eyes, sighing softly. “Yeah, okay, I could eat,” he relented.

Rolling off the bed, grabbing the food off his desk, Liam shot Theo a smug grin when he sat back down on the bed. “Hah! I knew you’d want something,” he said, handing Theo a plate as Theo finally sat up. “So, are we gonna talk about this or what?”

“Talk about what?” Theo asked, his features clouding over.

“Come on, Theo. You know what I mean. You and Jackson. Are you ever gonna get over this and be his friend again?” Liam asked.

“You want me to apologize to Jackson? Have you lost it? You said it yourself, Liam, the guy’s a jackass. Why the hell should I be the one to say something first? Have you forgotten everything he said about you? Because I haven’t. He just called you a loser not even five minutes ago!” Theo said, the anger he still felt over everything flooding to the surface.

Liam shrugged his shoulders. “So what? Jackson and I go at each other like that all the time. I appreciate you getting pissed off on my behalf, but the relationship I have with my brother isn’t your relationship with him. Yeah, he’s a jerk sometimes, but I still love him. And I know you do too even if you don’t want to admit it right now. And you’re also miserable without him. I hate seeing my boyfriend like that. See if you can try and fix that, huh?” he asked, his eyes softening in concern the longer they held each other’s gazes.

Theo swallowed hard, his smile wobbly as tears welled in his eyes. “Thanks, Dunbar,” he whispered.

“Anytime, sweetheart,” Liam replied, leaning forward and kissing Theo’s cheek.

TW ** TW

When Monday finally rolled around the idea of forgiving Jackson didn’t seem as easy as it had for Theo sitting in the safety of Liam’s bedroom over the weekend.

Mid-morning he found himself in the middle of English class. Ms. Martin, Lydia’s mom, was their teacher, and she’d told them at the beginning of the year that each month they’d rotate between a few of the classics like ‘The Scarlet Letter’, ‘The Old Man and the Sea’ or ‘The Great Gatsby’ along with a more contemporary novel of the class’s choosing. And they all got to vote on which novel they read next, which Theo thought was really cool.

Until he began reading 'Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda' by Becky Albertalli. He easily fell in love with Simon’s character and could relate to so many things Simon said or went through as the book progressed. The previous night Theo had stayed up late re-reading the chapter they’d been assigned, tears streaming down his face. He’d been unable to stop thinking about how amazing both Lydia and Hayden had been in regards of a support system for him. And he found himself wishing that Jackson was a little more like Simon’s friend Abby.

“All right, class, partner up!” Ms. Martin called, sufficiently pulling Theo from his thoughts. A few minutes later nearly everyone was paired up except for him.

“Uh, Ms. Martin?” he asked, raising his hand to get her attention.

“Yes, Theo?” she asked, giving him a strained smile.

“I, uh, I don’t have a partner,” he admitted.

Ms. Martin pursed her lips for a moment. “Who will be Theo’s partner for this assignment?” she called out.

“I will,” a boy a few desks behind Theo’s replied, raising his hand in acknowledgement.

“Dammit,” Theo swore under his breath before getting to his feet and heading over to the boy in question.

“Hey, Theo,” Stiles said in way of greeting as Theo made himself comfortable in a vacant desk next to him.

“Hey, Stiles,” he muttered, giving the other boy as forced of a smile as Ms. Martin had just given him. “So, uh, do you have any idea what the assignment is?” he mumbled, shooting a wary glance in Ms. Martin’s direction as the teacher walked amongst the students as they worked.

Stiles laughed. “You weren’t paying attention, huh?”

“Um, no,” Theo admitted.

“We’re just supposed to talk to our partner about a secret we’ve had. And if we’ve told someone about it how they reacted to finding out about it. Or if we haven’t told anyone how we hope they would react if we did tell them,” Stiles explained.

“Oh,” Theo replied, the color draining from his features as he immediately thought of Liam and how much he wanted to tell Jackson he had a boyfriend now.

“It’s okay, Theo. I’ll go first. Give you a minute or two to think of something,” Stiles said, reaching out and patting Theo’s arm reassuringly.

“Thanks, man,” Theo said, giving Stiles a grateful smile.

“Sure. So, uh, before I came out I was freaking out really bad, ya know? And I knew Scott was the first person I wanted to tell before I said anything to my dad. Well, the day I finally decided to say something we were hanging out in his room wondering how the hell we were sophomores already and then I started rambling about life changing, but how sometimes the changes could be good and he just goes: “Stiles, are you trying to tell me you’re gay? Because, dude, I know already. Relax.” Then he asked me if I wanted him there for moral support when I came out to my dad. I told him that’d be awesome and that was pretty much the end of it. Oh, well, he did also ask me if my coming out meant I’d stop mooning over Jackson and do something about it. Guess I wasn’t being as subtle as I thought I was,” Stiles said with a laugh as he finished his story. 

“Thanks for sharing that with me, Stiles,” Theo said, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

Stiles nodded in response. “He misses you, you know?”

“Who? Jackson?” Theo asked, knowing full well who Stiles was referring too. “Yeah, well, I miss him too. But things aren’t that simple, Stiles.”

“Why? It’d be pretty hypocritical of him to freak over you being gay, Theo,” Stiles said. “You should give him a chance to try to understand your situation before you just throw away a friendship you’ve had for years,” he advised.

“Does anybody else know? I mean, how could…how did you…?” Theo asked, trying desperately to quell the panic rising within him.

“Take it easy. Deep breath. There you go,” Stiles murmured, keeping his voice in a low, measured tone, running a hand soothingly along Theo’s arm until Theo was breathing normally again and the panic had faded. “To my knowledge nobody else knows. Not even Jackson. And that’s only because he’s been wallowing in his own feelings over how you dumped him.”

“I didn’t…We didn’t break-up!” Theo protested. “I just needed some space away from you both to figure out how I was really feeling.”

“Hey, I get it, man. No hard feelings. It probably wasn’t easy seeing your best friend so happy while you’ve been so confused, huh?” Stiles asked. “Giving each other distance was probably the best thing you could’ve done for yourself.”

“Yeah, I feel-I feel a lot better now. Great actually,” Theo replied honestly, unable to help the smile that lit up his face as he thought about Liam. “But how’d you figure it out?”

“About you being gay, you mean?” Stiles asked, and when Theo nodded he shrugged. “I dunno. Instinct? I mean, I knew you liked me. You’ve always been so nice. But whenever Jackson and I’ve been together you’ve kind of been standoffish, I guess. And for a while I wondered if it was because you were hung-up on Jackson. But then I heard you defend me and Liam to Jackson during your fight and I began wondering if you had a thing for Liam instead.”

Theo shook his head in disbelief. “Why the hell does everybody think I’m into Jackson? I’ve only ever loved him like a sibling, dude. Okay? You’ve gotta believe me,” he insisted.

Stiles smiled at him. “Relax, Theo. I believe you,” he promised.

“Cool. So, uh, you want to hear my secret now?” Theo asked, unable to stop grinning, finding himself anxious to share the news with someone who would understand why he was so excited.

“Sure,” Stiles agreed.

“You were right about me having a thing for Liam. And uh, we made it official this weekend. We’re boyfriends now,” Theo told Stiles, a proud and contented smile on his face.

“That’s great, man. So, you’re happy, huh?” Stiles asked.

Theo nodded. “Getting there. Slightly euphoric over the whole ‘me and Liam’ thing. But I-I need to tell Jackson. And I want to do it today after school,” he said resolutely, knowing it was the right decision.

“All right. That’s cool, Theo. Do you want me there for moral support?” Stiles suggested.

Theo’s eyes widened in surprise. “Yeah, I would, but are you sure that’s the best idea? I mean, you’re Jackson’s boyfriend not mine.”

“True, but you’re also my friend, Theo. I’ll be there for both you and Jackson. And I’d love it if you could work through your issues so Jackson and I can go on a double date with you and Liam in the near future,” Stiles confessed, giving Theo a brief smile.

Theo sighed softly. “That sounds awesome,” he said, pulling Stiles into a quick hug before getting to his feet as the bell rang.

“Yeah, it does, huh?” Stiles replied. “I’ll meet you at Jackson’s after school, okay, Theo?”

“See you then,” Theo agreed with a nod.

TBC...


	6. Chapter 6

Later that same afternoon Theo sat in his truck, nervously drumming on the steering wheel as he stared up at the Whittemore-Dunbar house.

He was so engrossed with thoughts of what he was about to do that he accidentally laid on the vehicle’s horn when he heard a tapping against the glass of the driver’s side window. Finally glancing up and out the window of his truck, Theo saw Stiles giving him an over the top cheesy grin thanks to his overreaction at the noise.

“Jesus,” he muttered to himself, willing his heart to stop racing as he unwillingly climbed from his truck. “I’m pretty sure you and Liam are meant to be best friends.”

“Yeah? What makes you say that?” Stiles asked with a laugh.

“He loves scaring the crap out of me by sneaking up on me too,” Theo answered dryly, giving Stiles a pointed look.

“Poor Theo. Do you need a hug?” Stiles retorted, holding his arms open in invitation as his mouth curled upward.

Theo snorted, his eyes dancing in amusement for a brief moment.

“Can I get a raincheck? I have a feeling I may need one later,” he explained, nodding meaningfully in the direction of the house they stood in front of.

Stiles immediately sobered. “Are you ready for this?”

“Honestly? No. But yes? I guess? So, um, maybe? Yeah, maybe. That’s how I feel right now,” Theo replied, giving Stiles a weak smile.

“We don’t have to do this now if you’re not ready,” Stiles insisted.

Theo swallowed back a lump before clearing his throat. “I love you for that, Stiles. I do, man. But I’m ready. I’m just nervous as hell,” he confessed.

“Oh, that. We can handle that, dude. I’ve got your back, okay? And if you feel like you’re gonna hurl just aim for Jackson’s shoes. That’s bound to make you feel better, right?” Stiles asked, winking at Theo.

Theo let out an unexpected laugh. “Probably, yeah. Telling me that won’t win you any points in regards to Jackson though, I don’t think.”

Stiles shrugged. “Probably not. But I have other ways of making him feel better. Perks of being his boyfriend,” he said with a smirk.

Theo nodded in understanding, giving Stiles a tight-lipped smile. “Definitely not something I needed in my head, but noted. Maybe we should, uh, get inside,” he said.

“Got you to stop thinking about how nervous you are, didn’t I?” Stiles asked. 

“Yeah. Thanks, Stiles,” Theo murmured, giving the other boy a relieved, understanding smile.

“Anytime, man,” Stiles replied, squeezing Theo’s shoulders reassuringly as they made their way inside the house.

They soon found Jackson in the kitchen.

“Hey, Jackson. Could we…could we talk, maybe?” Theo stammered, giving Jackson a hopeful smile.

“I didn’t think we had anything to say to one another,” Jackson said. “Besides, your new best friend Liam isn’t here right now,” he ground out between clenched teeth.

Theo swallowed hard, his eyes falling to the floor as he struggled to find the words.

“I know Liam isn’t here,” he said, relieved that he’d insisted Liam hangout with Mason after school. “And of course we have things to talk about. We always will.”

“Maybe you do, Theo. But as far as I’m concerned our friendship is over,” Jackson said.

“You don’t mean that. You can’t. Jackson, I know you miss me because I miss you too. Dammit, just hear me out. Please, it’s important. If I can’t share this stuff with you I don’t want to share it with anybody. You’re my best friend, Jackson. PLEASE,” Theo begged softly.

“You’re gonna want to hear this, baby. Trust me,” Stiles insisted.

“Stiles, I love you, but stay out of this,” Jackson snapped.

Stiles’ eyes widened for a moment. “Fine. You’re right. This isn’t my fight. But you’re gonna feel pretty friggin’ stupid here in about two minutes. Go on, Theo. Tell him,” he encouraged, winking at Theo as he sat down in the kitchen chair closest to where Jackson was standing. 

Jackson turned an exasperated expression on Theo. “What the hell is he talking about, Raeken?” he demanded.

“Do you really think that? That Liam is your replacement?” Theo asked incredulously.

“What the hell else am I supposed to think? I mean, you’ve been spending all your free time with him, haven’t you?” Jackson asked.

“Yeah, I have been. But it’s not what you think, Jackson,” Theo insisted.

“Then enlighten me,” Jackson snarled, glaring at Theo.

“FINE. It wouldn’t have worked out with me and Lydia even if she wasn’t into girls because I’m gay, Jackson. That clear things up for you?” Theo demanded, glowering right back at his best friend.

“You’re…you’re gay?” Jackson whispered hoarsely, clearly stunned as the question slowly left his mouth.

Theo felt himself deflate as he realized Jackson wasn’t reacting in the way he’d hoped.

“You really had no idea?” he finally asked after a silence had settled over them.

Jackson shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m sure I did know deep down. I think I was just in denial about it? It was crazy, you know? I felt like I was losing my best friend. And I didn’t know how to handle my feelings. So I just got mad over everything. Especially since everywhere I turned there you were. With Liam. But I deserved it, huh? I mean, you’ve been totally awesome about everything ever since Stiles and I got together, but I’ve been doing the same damn thing with him. Rubbing it in your face that I had a boyfriend at every opportunity. Liam got it right, man. I can be a real jackass, huh?”

Theo gave Jackson a strained smile. “Yeah, I guess you can be, sometimes. But you’re still my best friend, Jackson. You haven’t lost me, man. I’m still here. But I-I, there’s uh, there’s a reason I’ve been spending so much time with Liam. Somewhere in between fighting with you and coming to terms with who I am I realized I’d developed feelings for your brother. And uh, turns out he reciprocates those feelings.”

“Of course he does. It’d be a pretty epically dumb move on his part to turn you down, Raeken,” Jackson murmured, pulling Theo into a hug. “I’m sorry for being such an idiot. Forgive me?”

“Yeah, of course. I’m sorry for not telling you sooner,” Theo said.

Jackson’s brow furrowed as Theo’s words registered. “Hey, no. Don’t do that. You don’t need to apologize to me or anybody else, okay? This is your deal, dude. I’m really happy for you. And for my little brother. I have a feeling the two of you are gonna make each other as disgustingly happy as Stiles and I make each other. Ain’t that right, love?” he asked, directing his question at his boyfriend.

“Hell yeah, baby,” Stiles murmured in agreement, getting to his feet and kissing Jackson softly on the mouth before turning his focus to Theo. “You ready for that raincheck?”

Theo nodded, giving Stiles a small, grateful smile, feeling as if the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders as he pulled his friend into a hug.

“Thanks, Stiles,” he whispered, tears welling in his eyes as he realized he felt like he could finally breathe again.

“Hey, it’s what I’m here for, Theo. Whatever you need Jackson and I are here for you, all right?” Stiles insisted.

“Dammit. Between you two and Lydia I feel like I won the freaking Lottery in the friendship department,” Theo choked out a laugh as he wiped the tears from his eyes.

“No argument here,” Jackson told him, unable to hide his smirk.

Theo laughed again. “Awesome. If you don’t mind I’m gonna go spend some time with my boyfriend now.”

“Ditching us already, huh?” Jackson asked, raising an eyebrow.

Theo nodded. “Sucks, doesn’t it?” he retorted before the two of them started laughing.

“Call me later, Theo. Maybe the four of us can grab dinner somewhere or something,” Jackson said, pulling Theo into another brief hug.

“Okay, sounds good. We’ll see you guys later,” Theo promised, flashing his friends a grin before heading outside to his truck.

TBC...


End file.
